(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate assembling apparatus which drops liquid crystal and stick substrates together in vacuum to produce a liquid crystal display, and a substrate assembling method using the same.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-351961 discloses a substrate laminating apparatus in which an upper table and a lower table (or either table) for holding an upper substrate and a lower substrate and sticking them together have circular adhesive members formed around round ventilation holes made in a table surface for suction and adsorption by negative pressure and areas uncovered with the adhesive members are covered by a cushioning material almost equal to the adhesive member in thickness to make the table surface flush. In this apparatus, lift pins are disposed adjacent to the adhesive members and the adhesive members are peeled by pushing the pins against a substrate. In addition, an electrostatic chuck is provided in each corner of a square table so that a substrate is held in vacuum not only by the adhesive members but also by an electrostatic adsorptive force.
This laminating apparatus has a problem that the substrate might be deformed because, by pushing the lift pins against the substrate sticking to the adhesive members, when it is released.
An object of the present invention is to provide a laminating apparatus which holds a substrate in vacuum securely and does not deform the substrate when adhesive members are peeled from the substrate surface.